Buckle.



F. LOEB.

BUCKLE.

APPLIOATION FILED APR. 15, 1903.

91 6,173. Patented Mar. 23, 1909.

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F. LOEB.

BUCKLE.

APPLICATION FILED APR.15, 1908.

9 1 6, 1 73 Patented Mar. 23, 1909.

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ATTORNEYS UNITED STATES PATENT oEEIcE.

FELIX LOEB, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

BUCKLE Application filed April 15, 1908.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FELIX LOEB, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of New York, county and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Buckles, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates more particularly to a buckle in which the tongue may be readily released.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a simple and efficient buckle in which the tongue or engaging member is so held that it may engage the strap in such a waythat the part supporting the same may shift it more quickly and readily from an engaging to a released position, so that no matter how tight the belt or strap may be the said buckle may be quickly released from the engaging end of the strap without injuring the fingers or requiring the belt to be pulled to release the same from the buckle tongue, which often results in breaking the strap and preventing the belt or strap from being secured tightly around the object to which it is applied.

A further object of the invention is to provide a simple and eflicient buckle which may be readily cast or made of wire to which the belt or strap portion may be easily secured.

With these and other objects in view, the invention will be hereinafter more particularly described with reference to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification, and will then be pointed out in w the claims at the end of the description.

In the drawings, Figure 1, is an elevation of one form of buckle embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section through the buckle showing the tongue in full lines in its engaging position and in dotted lines in its released position. Fig. 3 is a transverse section taken on a line IIIIII of Fig. 1. Fig. 1 is a plan view of a slightly different form of buckle. Fig. 5 is a longitudinal section of the form of buckle shown in Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a transverse sec tion taken on the line VIVI of Fig. 4.; and Figs. 7 to 11 show other forms of buckles.

The buckle 10 has its frame 11 provided with a body portion 12, which is substantially rectangular in form, and projecting outward from the body portion of the frame is a smaller and substantially U-shaped part 13. This U-shaped part 13 has side bars 14 Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented March 23, 1909.

Serial No. 427,139.

and a transverse bar 15 which forms a pivot for a releasing member 16. The releasing member 16 is provided with a hook portion 17 and is formed b two parallel bars 18 which may be slightly separated, and at its inner end has an eye 19 in which is held the end 20 of the engaging tongue or member 21. The side bars 14 of the U-shaped portion 13 are slightly inclined inward so as to provide engaging frictional surfaces 22 against which the side bars 18 of the releasing member 16 are adapted to engage and hold said releasing member in substantially a horizontal position and in axial alinement with the body portion 12 of the buckle frame, there being a transverse bar or connecting piece 23 extending across the U-shaped part 13 which limits the inward movement of the releasing member.

The buckle is adapted to be attached to a strap or belt 24, one end of which is provided with engaging openings 25 as is usual, and when the buckle is in the position shown in Fig. 1, the end of the belt will be positively held by means of the tongue 21. If the member 16 is forced outwardly by means of pressure under the same or in any other way to the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2, the said tongue will be released from the apertures 25 in the end of the belt thus permitting the free end of the belt to be disengaged. By this means the tongue of the buckle may be readily disengaged without re( uiring the engaging end of the belt to be pulled and withdrawn over the tongue as the case with the ordinary buckle, and the tongue is so held that it will not become disengaged while in use.

In Figs. 4 to 6, the frame 26 has an inwardprojecting part 27. This part 27 is substantially U-shaped in form and is provided with frictional engaging surfaces 28 for the releasing member 29. This releasing member 29 is pivoted at 30 to a part of the buckle frame and consists of a single rod or bar instead of two bars as shown in Fig. 1, and at its inner end the releasing member is provided with an eye 31 to which the tongue 32 is pivoted. A bar 34 extends transversely of the part 27 and limits the inward movement of the releasing member 29. As in Fig. 1, there will be sufficient yield between the releasing member and the U-shaped part engaged thereby to hold it in its proper relative position, and said engagement may be caused by the shape of the engaging surfaces or by the yielding effect of either the releasing member or a part of the buckle frame.

In Figs. 7 to 9, the frame 35 of the buckle has its U-shaped portion 36 projecting inwardly. This U-shaped portion is provided with frictional engaging surfaces 37 airck which are formed by cutting away a part thereof or forming shoulders 38 thereon, so as to limit the inward movement of the 1;e leasing member 39, which is pivoted at 40 to a part of the buckle frame. The releasing member 39 may comprise a single bar or two parallel bars as shown and has an eye at the inner end thereof to which the tongue 41 is pivoted as already described. The transverse bar across the U-shaped portion is dispensed with and in this form and the others the frictional engaging surface may be simply at the inner portion thereof or it may extend along the entire surface of the U-shaped portion.

In Figs. 10 and 11, the frame 12 shows a form buckle particularly adapted for harness and like purposes, and said frame is provided with a transversely-extending bar or part 43 which has the U-shaped part 44 thereon to which the releasing member45 is pivoted and said releasing member is adapted to engage frictionally the U-sha ed part as in the other figures and to the reiieasing memher is pivoted the tongue 46, said bar 42 being formed at 47 to limit the inward movement of the releasing member 45 as shown in Fig. 11.

From the foregoing it will be seen that simple and efficient means is provided whereby the buckle tongue may be readily released from engagement with the end of the strap; that means is provided for holding the releasing member, and that the tongue is so held to the releasing member that it will be removed and held properly in either a released or an engaging osition.

Having thus descri ed my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. A buckle comprising a frame having a substantially rectangular body portion and a ing part, a releasing member pivotally held to the frame and provided with an eye at its inner end and adapted to frictionally engage the inner portion of the Ushaped part, a bar extending transversely of the U-shaped portion and serving to limit the inward movement of the releasing member, and. a tongue member pivotally held in the eye of the releasing member.

2. A buckle comprising a frame having a body portion and a fixed projecting part of less width than the body portion, a releasing member pivotally held at one end to the frame and adapted to frictionally engage a portion of the projecting part, means extending transversely of the projecting part and serving to limit the inward movement of the releasing member, and a tongue member pivotally held to the releasing member at one of its ends.

3. A buckle comprising a frame having a substantially rectangular body portion and a smaller and substantially U-shaped projecting part, a releasing member pivotally held to the U-shaped part and provided with an eye at its inner end, said releasing memlter being larger than the inner portion of the U- shaped part to frictionally engage the same when forced there between, a bar extending transversely of the U-shaped part and serv ing to limit the inward movement of the releasing member, and a tongue member pivgtally held in the eye of the releasing mem- .er.

4. A buckle comprising a frame having a body portion and a fixed projecting part of less width than said body portion, a releasing member pivotally held to the frame and adapted to be forced into frictional engagement with the projecting part, and a tongue member pivotally held to the releasing memher.

This specification signed and witnessed this tenth day of April A. D. 1908.

FELIX LOEB.

lVitnesses:

MoRRIs N OVER,

smaller and substantially U-shaped project- CHAs. D. DIoKERs. 

